Cambridge and Gateway to Create World’s Largest P2MP Network

Cambridge Broadband Networks and Gateway Communications have signed a contract through which Gateway will use Cambridge Broadband Networks’ VectaStar II platform to provision 130 hubs and 5000 terminal stations that will deliver mobile broadband connections across Nigeria. Thus creating the world’s largest point to multipoint microwave (P2MP) access network.

Gateway Communications Nigeria, headquartered in Lagos, is building a pan-African, all-IP connectivity network that covers every major African city and has acquired 10.5 GHz spectrum licenses for point to multipoint in Nigeria to further the project. The company will roll out up to 10 Mb mobile broadband services across ten Nigerian states in 2010, with Port Harcourt and Abuja scheduled to go live in February. It is anticipated that a further 14 states will go live through 2011. The deal follows Gateway’s successful roll out of its Airlink™ and MetroLink™ mobile broadband services, using VectaStar 10.5 GHz solutions in Lagos.

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“High speed, high quality and secure broadband networks are critical for businesses in Nigeria. Gateway has an aggressive roll-out plan for mobile broadband networks in 2010 and 2011. We needed an efficient, reliable and high capacity solution that could be deployed quickly,” said Guy Clarke, Managing Director, Gateway Nigeria, “and point to multipoint met all those requirements as well as being highly efficient to run and commercially sound.”

Cambridge Broadband Networks developed its P2MP microwave solutions to address operators’ growing needs for more efficient, high capacity mobile backhaul and access solutions. P2MP technology can be deployed rapidly, it delivers significant capital and operational savings over legacy point to point microwave solutions and it provides an upgrade path to meet the forecast demand for mobile broadband services. VectaStar II features industry-leading performance characteristics including 7-state hitless adaptive modulation, 256QAM modulation to deliver class-leading spectral efficiency and Ethernet throughput performance.

“The agreement with Gateway perfectly illustrates the clear benefits of Cambridge Broadband’s VectaStar II solution,” commented Graham Peel, CEO of Cambridge Broadband Networks. “Whether in emerging or developed markets, point to multipoint microwave has clear and demonstrable advantages over the legacy point to point solutions. VectaStar has already been adopted by 50 operators in 35 geographic markets, including in what the GSMA has described as the world’s busiest mobile broadband network. This latest mass deployment provides further validation of the technology and Cambridge Broadband’s ability to deliver.”